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Thread: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

  1. #1
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    The GC in question happens to be a local one in Seattle.
    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/In...er-Mandolin.gc
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  2. #2

    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    It was around the the Chicago area a few weeks back. It was probably sent out and was returned to the Seattle store.
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  3. #3
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Yeah, I thought I had seen it before.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  4. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    On it’s way to the Boston area now. I assume it’s got one or more issues since it keeps getting returned, but I’ll check it out once it arrives and report back. At least this way Cafe members will know what’s up with the Mando when it reappears, in the event I return it.

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  7. #6

    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Looking forward to your update Mojo!

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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucindalin View Post
    Looking forward to your update Mojo!
    Just arrived yesterday so I can only comment on a few things so far.

    1. $3000. Mandolin shipped in a too large $50. mandolin case. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised because, you know, GC, but I reallly wasn’t expecting that. Also, GC did a terrible packaging job. And apparently GC doesn’t believe in detuning for shipment. All in all, good thing the mando is carbon fiber.

    2. Looks to be (cosmetically) in pretty good condition overall.

    3. Has an internal Pick-up installed, which I wasn’t expecting. Was this standard on Mix Mandolins?


    Can’t say much more just yet because the strings need changing, the tuners need servicing, and the bridge is woefully out of position, to the point where everything fretted plays way sharp right now when the strings are in tune played open. Hopefully I’ll be able to deal with all of that this weekend and then I’ll have more to say.

    I can say this now though, it sure looks

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  10. #8
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Par for the course with GC.

    I've bought both a vintage Gibson snakehead and a Lyon & Healy Style A from GC and had them show up with neck cracks.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    Par for the course with GC.

    I've bought both a vintage Gibson snakehead and a Lyon & Healy Style A from GC and had them show up with neck cracks.
    Ugh.

  12. #10
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    OK, much delayed follow-up here:

    First off, I returned the Mix to my (sort of) local GC today. It had multiple issues that I just was not inclined to deal with. I’ll elaborate so anyone else considering the Mix will be able to make a more informed decision.

    So for a variety of reasons I’ve been slammed ever since the Mix Mandolin arrived and I had little time to play it, and no time to write about it. I did however check it out pretty thoroughly when it arrived. I also restrung it with new strings and adjusted the bridge position to be pretty close to correct, though not perfect because I just didn’t have the time and frankly, it seemed like there was something going on with the saddle which was making proper intonation more difficult that it should have been - not just getting the octaves in tune, but double stops and chords were out of tune when fretted , even when the open strings were in-tune, etc.

    The bridge needs to go lower but there’s no room to adjust the saddle further down and it looks like the bridge base has already been sanded waaaaay down - appears to be a gap base that has been sanded till the gap is nearly 100% gone, but you can still see a hint of the gap remaining in the center. However the bridge isn’t quite properly fit to the bridge and the saddle posts are basically now flush with the base, so further sanding is a no go unless you were to screw the posts out a bit.

    The frets were in good condition, but they weren’t all level when I put a straight edge on them. The fretboard seems to be inlaid into a carbon fiber frame as part of the body and if the fret board itself needs leveling, I’m not sure how that would be done. There’s a fair amount of fall-off at the bottom part of the fretboard, which some might call a hump….

    Some of the tuners were tight and imprecise, even after lubrication.

    The Mix has an under saddle transducer pick-up and endjack installed, but the transducer has become unstuck from the top, so it’s just flopping around inside the body at this point. I did alert the GC staffer to this, but I wouldn’t plan on the issues being (properly) fixed before it’s sold again.

    The case is crap and fits really poorly, it’s far too big for the Mandolin, which just flips around inside.

    Loved the James tailpiece, want one on my Collings now.

    To be fair, the Mix looks very cool and cosmetically it is in very good condition, with little wear showing for its age.

    Even with all of the negative issues, I was sort of on the fence about keeping the Mix because I’d really like to have a mandolin I can keep out and handy in the ultra dry environment of my place, but at the end of the day, every time I picked up the Mix to play it, I just didn’t care much for the sound, which surprised me. I have a small body carbon fiber guitar that I really like, so it’s not some sort of unconscious bias towards the material, I just didn’t like the tone of the Mix. It’s not bad, but it’s more like Eastman level tone, and all things considered, I just couldn’t justify 3K for this particular instrument. I mean, my Collings cost 1K less, plays great, doesn’t need the frets leveled, has a good quality case and (to my ear) sounds far better. Maybe I’d like a Mix F5 better than the Oval hole version, I don’t know.

    At any rate, not a 3K mando for me, I’d only be interested at about half that price, someone else may feel different, though at least 2 other people have purchased and returned it now, so……

    If someone in Eastern Mass is itching to try this Mix out, I returned it to the Danvers GC earlier today. No idea if they’ll put it out on display or what - I looked around and didn’t see a single other mando in the place, which once again reminded me how lucky I am to live practically around the corner from TME. Going to GC once every 5 years is too much for me, for a whole bunch of reasons.

    Well, that’s it, hope this helps someone. Cheers.

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  14. #11
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    I saw one of these appear for about a nanosecond in the classifieds the other day, and I thought about the one you were evaluating. Thanks for the report, sounds like a fair amount of issues there.
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  15. #12
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mix/NewMAD A4 at Guitar Center

    it's back oniine at GC as of this morning ... ready for the next sucka who wants to take a test drive.
    https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/In...n-117781216.gc
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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